Monday, March 28, 2016

David and Andrea in the Philippines

The little house I live in has 2 rooms downstairs – a small living room that can comfortably seat about 6, and a kitchen with a table.  Upstairs has 3 rooms – my bedroom and 2 smaller rooms, one which I use for storage and the other for guests.  Up to now, my guests have been few, mostly pastors.  But this past 2 weeks, I was privileged to have David and his wife, Andrea, stay for 6 nights, followed by husband/wife missionary colleagues who stayed 2 nights.

I flew to Manila on Sunday, the 13th, to meet David and Andrea, this being Andrea’s first trip to Asia.  The next day, the three of us traveled 1 hour by boat to the famous island of Corregidor, where WW2 American forces made their last stand against an invading Japanese army.  Corregidor had been one of the premier military installations outside the U.S., complete with barracks, hotels, hospital, and recreation facilities.  The island was heavily fortified with large canons, air artillery, and a huge tunnel built deep into a mountain.  But Japanese bombings destroyed much of the fortifications, forcing Gen. MacArthur and the Allied forces to flee.  After more bombings, the island was retaken in 1945.  Today it is a top tourist attraction and a monument to the thousands who gave their lives to defend the Pacific islands.

On Tuesday morning, we visited the American Cemetery in Manila, the largest such cemetery in Asia.  Over 17,000 crosses layed in concentric circles mark the grave sites of Allied soldiers who fought in WW2.  In the center of the cemetery is a memorial walkway that lists over 36,000 soldiers who were missing in action, whose graves are “known only to God”.

As I returned to Iloilo on Tuesday evening, David and Andrea flew to the island of Palawan where they enjoyed 2 nights at a secluded beach resort that included a boat ride through the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River, recently proclaimed as one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World.  On Friday, they flew to Iloilo and we drove to Roxas City, our home from 1987 to 1995.  On Saturday morning, David and Andrea gave their testimonies to about 80 from our outreach near Roxas.  Andrea played Amazing Grace on her trumpet and gave quick trumpet lessons to some curious children.

On Sunday, Andrea again played her trumpet in morning worship as she and David again shared their testimonies.  During the week, we welcomed visitors to the house, as well as toured Iloilo, showing Andrea the places where David grew up.  On Thursday, David and Andrea took a day trip to a nearby island where they enjoyed snorkeling in amazingly clear waters.  It was obviously difficult to see them leave on Friday evening.

The next 2 days I enjoyed the fellowship of 2 missionary colleagues, which helped fill the void of David and Andrea’s absence.  But now the house is once again empty.  Projects are waiting for my attention, people needing to be visited, and ministry plans ready to be implemented.  But the past 2 weeks were very pleasant as we retraced moments from David’s past and anticipated joyful times in his future as he and Andrea continue their first year together.

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